Mint raita is a vibrant and zesty Indian yogurt sauce made with fresh herbs, creamy yogurt, and mildly seasoned with salt, roasted cumin, and black pepper.
It's one of the most popular condiments for biryani, pulao, and tandoori dishes. Here's an easy 10-minute recipe.
What is Mint Raita?
Mint Raita is a flavored yogurt dip made by combining fresh mint and cilantro chutney, and creamy yogurt.
Seasoned with pink salt, roasted cumin, and black pepper, it's a popular condiment to be served alongside many Indian recipes, including Biryani, grilled entrees, and curries.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
It just takes a handful of fresh ingredients to put together this easy Indian mint yogurt sauce. Here's what we need:
Fresh Herbs: The quality of cilantro (also known as coriander) and mint is key to the final taste. Look for fresh herbs with firm leaves, and bright green color, without any holes or blemishes.
We'll just be using the leaves for this recipe, so you can reserve the stems for flavoring broth or soup for another recipe.
Garlic: A small clove goes a long way. It adds a subtle garlic-y flavor. If you don't care for it, feel free to skip it.
Seasoning: I prefer the taste of Himalayan salt, but sea salt can be used interchangeably. We also need finely ground black pepper and roasted cumin, for mild heat and a sweet-earthy taste. If you cannot find roasted cumin, make your own using this easy recipe for cumin powder.
Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds the perfect amount of acidity to the mint sauce. Alternatively, use fresh lime juice.
Yogurt: Use full-fat for a creamy texture or reduced fat (2%) for low-fat raita. I don't recommend using fat-free yogurt since that makes the raita very liquidy.
In addition to these, you'll also water to adjust the consistency of the raita to your liking.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Mint Raita
Here are the simple steps to make a delicious mint and coriander raita:
Step 1: Add cilantro leaves, mint leaves, garlic clove, salt, cumin, pepper, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of chilled water to a small blender.
Step 2: Blend for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides in between. Blend until it purees to a fine consistency. Add another tablespoon of water if needed.
Step 3: In a small serving bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth. Add the herb mix and whisk until fully incorporated. Adjust salt as needed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cooling raita along with your favorite Indian meals. Some of my favorites include:
Biryani: To me, raita and biryani is a match made in food heaven! I serve it with any of the following: Quinoa Biryani, Chana Masala Biryani, Chicken Biryani, Lamb Biryani, Vegetable Biryani, and Paneer Biryani.
Beans and Rice: It goes great with Rajma (kidney Beans curry), or Chana Masala (Chickpeas curry), along with cumin rice or steamed basmati rice.
Tandoori Entrees: Serve it as a dipping sauce, or drizzle it over a variety of grilled marinated proteins including Tandoori Chicken, Paneer Tikka, Fish Tikka, Tandoori Salmon, Chicken Seekh Kebab, and more.
How to Store or Make Ahead
This raita is a great make-ahead side dish. You can assemble it 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Store raita in any airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Variation: Cucumber Mint Raita
To make cucumber mint raita, grate 2 Persian or ½ an English cucumber, and squeeze them in a kitchen towel to get rid of excess moisture. Alternatively, finely chop them in a food chopper.
Assemble the raita as per instructions and stir in the cucumber. Check for taste and adjust the seasoning as you like.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Herbs: For the best taste, pick fresh vibrant herbs without any blemishes.
- Yogurt: Use full-fat for a creamy texture or reduced fat (2%) for low-fat raita. I don't recommend fat-free yogurt for this recipe.
- Add cucumber: Add grated or finely chopped cucumber to transform this into Cucumber Mint Raita.
- Salt: If you cannot find Himalayan salt, substitute it for an equal quantity of sea salt. Alternatively, use half the quantity mentioned of table salt.
- Cumin: Roasted cumin gives this dip a sweet-earthy taste. If you cannot find the spice blend, make your own using this easy recipe for cumin powder.
- Using premade chutney: You can also make this raita with premade or store-bought mint chutney. Simply add 2-3 tablespoons based on your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mint raita is made of plain yogurt, fresh mint and cilantro leaves, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and roasted cumin powder.
I don't recommend freezing this raita as yogurt develops a stale taste upon freezing and defrosting.
I don't recommend using dried mint in this recipe, and it doesn't have a fresh vibrant taste and color, which is found in fresh mint leaves.
Add grated or finely chopped cucumber to this recipe to make mint cucumber raita.
Indian raita and Greek Tzatziki contain similar ingredients, such as yogurt, cucumber, salt, and pepper. However, Tzatziki is thicker in texture and includes the addition of lemon juice and garlic, which changes the flavor profile a bit.
Raita is used as a cooling side dish with Indian entrees, including rice and dal, tandoori paneer and meats, and curries. Yogurt and mint, both contain cooling properties which balance the heat from the Indian warm spices (garam masala).
Popular Raita Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Mint Raita
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cilantro leaves (no stems)
- ¼ cup mint leaves (no stems)
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon himalayan pink salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons chilled water (adjust as needed)
- 1 cup plain yogurt (full-fat or 2%)
Instructions
- Add cilantro leaves, mint leaves, garlic clove, salt, cumin, pepper, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of chilled water to a small blender. Blend for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides in between. Blend until it purees to a fine consistency. Add another tablespoon of water if needed.
- In a small serving bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth. Add the herb mix and whisk until fully incorporated. Adjust salt as needed.
Notes
- Herbs: For the best taste, pick fresh vibrant herbs without any blemishes.
- Yogurt: Use full-fat for a creamy texture or reduced fat (2%) for low-fat raita. I don't recommend fat-free yogurt for this recipe.
- Add cucumber: Add grated or finely chopped cucumber to transform this into Cucumber Mint Raita.
- Salt: If you cannot find Himalayan salt, substitute it for an equal quantity of sea salt. Alternatively, use half the quantity mentioned of table salt.
- Cumin: Roasted cumin gives this dip a sweet-earthy taste. If you cannot find the spice blend, make your own using this easy recipe for cumin powder.
- Using premade chutney: You can also make this raita with premade or store-bought mint chutney. Simply add 2-3 tablespoons based on your preference.
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